Comb cleaner



g- 5, 1958 D. o. INMAN' 2,845,642

\ COMB CLEANER Filed Nov.- 8, 1954 INVENTOR. flannel 0. jzmazq United States Patent COMB CLEANER Daniel 0. Inman, Blackhawk, 111. Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,416

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-1045) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in comb cleaners.

Toilet combs, after a comparatively short period of service, accumulate oil, grease and other matter on the sides of the teeth, and in order to maintain the comb in a sanitary condition, it is essential that the matter accumulated be removed therefrom.

The present invention provides an appliance, or tool, for attaining this end which is simple in construction, eifective in operation, and capable of performing the work in a rapid and convenient way. It is also an object of the invention to provide a comb cleaner wherein the cleaning elements can be easily removed from the handle for repair or replacement by new ones as desired, or when necessary.

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a comb cleaner device embodying the principles of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the comb cleaner taken on line 33 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the channel-shaped member shown in section in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a cross section, similar to Fig. 3, of a modified construction of the comb cleaner.

In the drawing, numeral 1 designates a handle or shank having one end thereof curled to form an eye 2 thereby providing an opening 3 for hanging the device upon a hook or nail. The opposite or outer end of the shank, indicated at 2', has a longitudinal slot extending inwardly a substantial distance from said shank end, communicating and coextensive with the mid portion of which is a lateral slot 5 disposed at substantially right angles to said slot 4 and extending to the exterior surface of said shank. The lateral slot 5 communicates with slot 4 substantially midway the lateral edges thereof. The numeral 8 represents a filler member formed of metal of equal length and breadth with said longitudinal slot 4 so as to slidably fit therein, and having spaced walls 9 separated to form a space 10 to coincide or register with the lateral slot 5 of the shank. Wires or bristles 2,845,642 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 11 are fixed in the filler member 8 and extend through the lateral slot 5 a substantial distance beyond the shank to provide tines to rake between the teeth of a comb to be cleaned. Finely corrugated wires are Well adapted for this purpose. The filler member 8 has a fiat extension 8 at one end perforated at 7a to receive a screw 7 to lock the filler member in proper place within the shank. A screw 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be applied to the shank for reeuforcement purposes and prevent any tendency of splitting the handle.

It is noted that the filler member corresponds in size and shape with the longitudinal slot 4 so as to slide freely within the shank. If the filler member deteriorates in use, it is but necessary to remove the screw 7, whereupon the entire filler member unit may he slid out of the slotted shank and a new unit readily reapplied thereto.

In Fig. 5 I show a modification of the invention wherein the cleaning unit is a solid body 8a provided with small perforations through which wires or bristles 11a are inserted and locked therein by any of the means well known in the art of brushes.

While I have shown a satisfactory tool for the cleaning of hair combs, its use is not necessarily so confined but will prove equally efiicient in cleaning egg slicers, typewriter parts, welt constructions, silverware forks, jewelry, as well as ratchet and idler wheels.

The parts forming the device of my invention may be made of metal, either molded or pressed, or of plastic material, as will be understood.

Having described my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof. What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a comb cleaner, a straight shank having a slot extending longitudinally and inwardly from one end thereof and also having a lateral longitudinal slot in a side thereof in communication with said longitudinal slot and coextensive with the latter, a filler member of a size and shape to correspond with the longitudinal slot and slidable therein, said filler member having an opening therein overlying and coextensive with said lateral slot, bristles firmly secured at their inner ends in said filler member and extending through said opening and said lateral slot, and means for securing said filler member to said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,625,537 Gullickson Apr. 19, 1927 1,671,334 White May 29, 1923 2,159,914 Tweedale May 23, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 406,894 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1934 500,424 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1939 900,692 Germany Ian. 4, 1954 

